Welcome

The Festival continues to present the world's finest musicians including, among this year's John Lewis Young Stars Ruby Hughes, returning after recent triumphs and Dinara Klinton, a previous winner of our own Sheepdrove Piano Competition, for her debut with the Philharmonia. We also welcome back John Lill as a judge of this year's competition, where Rachmaninov and Scriabin will be the featured composers, as they will also be for Peter Donohoe's recital. Making their Festival debuts are BBC Symphony Orchestra, Classical Opera, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, and their compatriots, Goldberg Baroque Ensemble. Other distinguished visitors include Mahan Esfahani, Adam Walker, Hyeyoon Park, Daniel Mulhall, CrossHarbour, Endellion String Quartet, Voces8, Tenebrae and Calefax.

At Newbury Corn Exchange jazz greats Julian Joseph, Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and Ronnie Scotts' All Stars contrast with shows which have a strong musical element: Ballet Central and Charles Court Opera present traditional lyric theatre, while Concert Theatre, combining physical theatre with live music and The Imperfect Pearl, a musical play (on a subject similar to Ex Cathedra's programme for Douai Abbey) are radical new hybrids. Kit & McConnel finally lower the tone with their unique brand of musical satire.

Cinema perhaps offers the greatest opportunity for combining music, image and drama and Hitchcock's Psycho and
Vertigo are masterpieces of the genre, enhanced by Bernard Herrmann's powerful scores. His widow Norma will introduce a concert including arrangements of her late husband's music by Tippett Quartet before we screen the films. The Hollywood theme develops with Clare Martin's Hollywood Romance, Gary Williams's Sinatra Jukebox, Harry the Piano's A Night
at the Movies, Swell Party Company's Till The Clouds Roll By and with Robert Harris's interview From Page to Screen, where we will discuss his career in the movies.
Please join us for what promises to be a great 2015 Festival!